S’Africa authorities invade Nigeria Consulate, citizens angered

The Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA) has condemned the invasion of the Nigerian Consulate General premises in Johannesburg by City Power and the Johannesburg Metro Police. NICASA Secretary General Kareem Tunde issued a statement expressing the association’s disapproval of the actions taken by South African authorities against the consulate. He stated, “We wish to express our stance on the issue involving the Consulate General in Johannesburg and City Power. We condemn the unwarranted actions by City Power and the police cohort on the property of the Consulate of Nigeria.”

Tunde emphasized that the actions of City Power appeared to be aimed at embarrassing and humiliating Nigeria and its citizens. He asserted that there is no plausible justification for the invasion of the Nigerian Consulate General, labeling the act as retrogressive, xenophobic, and avoidable. He further criticized the implications of such actions, warning that if City Power could invade the consulate of any country without facing consequences, it could set a precedent for the police to do the same. This could lead to situations where police might enter any consulate and make arrests without regard for the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

Tunde expressed hope that the governments of both Nigeria and South Africa would take strong action against those responsible for this reprehensible act to prevent future occurrences. He advised Nigerian citizens to remain calm, assuring them that the matter is being handled diplomatically by the Consular General and will be resolved satisfactorily.

In a related statement, the Nigeria Union Gauteng described the invasion as a disrespectful violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Missions. The union noted that City Power and the Johannesburg Metro Police invaded the Nigerian diplomatic premises on January 18 without proper consultation or permission from the Consulate General. They recalled a similar incident on December 11, 2011, when heavily armed police from Bramley Police Station were denied access by consular officials. The union warned that if such actions were to occur again, they would have no choice but to mobilize the community for a peaceful protest. The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 serves as an international treaty that establishes a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries.